Parker Enjoys Center Stage

Atlantic Star Eyes Best Ticket

He plans to pursue a theater degree at whichever college he signs with today.

His goal is to become the next Jamie Foxx, so expect a great deal of drama when he and four of his Atlantic High teammates sit down to sign letters-of-intent, committing themselves to a college.

Parker might pull the classic hat switcheroo, trying on a few before finally making his selection. Or he might wear multiple jerseys, peeling them off to reveal his true choice. Miami, Florida State, Minnesota and North Carolina State are the four schools he visited recently.

Parker has a flair for the dramatic, whether it's on the field, where the receiver caught 45 passes for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns, or off it, where he craves the spotlight.

"I'm trying to see who will write me the best ticket," said Parker, who became one of Florida's elite players after accumulating 1,800 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns this season.

"Who will give me the best education? Who will get me on the field right away? Who will write my ticket to the NFL?" Parker said. "I just can't wait for signing day to come to get it over with because there's a lot of pressure that comes with being in this position."

The person he's sought for guidance in this decision is his half-brother, Doug Parker, who also starred at Atlantic High before moving on to Florida Atlantic. Doug is still trying to catch on with a professional team.

He hopes Preston has learned from his recruiting experiences. Doug planned to attend Florida but failed to qualify. He wound up as part of FAU's first signing class, and went on to become the Owls' career rushing leader.

Doug knows his brother is even more talented, and hopes that his guidance will help Preston avoid some of the same mistakes, particularly considering Preston still has some work to do to be admitted into his top choices.

"I know he has the potential to go to the NFL," said Doug, 23. "I don't want him to mess that up. I just want him to live out a better experience than I did. But it starts with making the right decisions."

Doug is scared his brother -- and just about every high school player signing today -- doesn't realize the impact today's decisions will have through their lives.

"When you're that age, 17 or 18, you're saying I'm going to have some fun on these visits. I'm going to ball out at these school," said Doug, who works at Village Academy tutoring kids while he finishes his sociology degree. "Putting on a hat and making a show of it isn't going to determine where you are the rest of your life. The choice you make will, so it's important to be serious about why you picked one school over another."